We may have underestimated Vietnam! As soon as Vietnam reached an agreement with the United States, it took action against our hot-rolled steel coils. It seems that Vietnam is indeed trying to please the United States. But why is Vietnam daring to do this? Vietnam must have realized that we will not hold a grudge against it. From our overall perspective, Vietnam is well aware that our top priority is the peace in the South China Sea.

In fact, the territorial disputes between China and Vietnam are much larger than those between China and the Philippines. However, the Vietnamese leadership is wiser and more pragmatic than the Philippine one. Because as long as Vietnam does not cross the red line and does not cooperate with the United States on the South China Sea issue, even if there are some frictions or actions that make us uncomfortable, we are likely to be lenient towards Vietnam. Therefore, although Vietnam's actions this time are uncomfortable for us, compared to Sino-Vietnamese relations and the peace in the South China Sea, this is not a major issue.

From Vietnam's perspective, its development relies on China and the United States. The United States is Vietnam's largest export market. Vietnam has an open economy and cannot afford to lose the U.S. market. Moreover, Vietnam lacks the means to counter the United States, which is the reality it faces. Therefore, Vietnam is smart enough to limit the friction with us within the economic sphere, which is probably a carefully considered decision.

What behavior from Vietnam can we absolutely not tolerate? That is, disrupting the peace and stability of the South China Sea, allowing the United States to deploy military assets in Vietnam, or letting the U.S. aircraft carrier dock at Cam Ranh Bay, etc. If Vietnam does this, it would mean that Vietnam has taken sides. Of course, this scenario is unlikely to happen because Vietnam's economic development is currently very strong, and it prioritizes economic development. Therefore, as long as Vietnam does not get involved in the great power game and continues its "bamboo diplomacy," we will keep the Sino-Vietnamese friction within an appropriate range.

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1837070385047626/

Statement: This article represents the views of the author.